Glaucoma! Is there herbal, or holistic help for this condition?!

Glaucoma! Is there herbal, or holistic help for this condition?

*** Please note I copied this from another website I have read in the past. I just do not want to plagiarize.***
Exercise

Studies indicate that glaucoma patients who exercise regularly (at least three times a week) can reduce their interocular pressure by an average of 20%. If they stop exercising for more than two weeks, pressure increases again. In one study, those who walked briskly four times a week for 40 minutes were able to go off their medications. (Although not confirmed by any evidence, yoga or other exercises that involve head-down or inverted positions may be harmful for glaucoma patients and should be discussed with the physician.)

Exercise has no effect on closed angle glaucoma. It may increase eye pressure in patients with pigmentary glaucoma. Vigorous high-impact exercise in fact may cause more pigment to be released from the iris in these patients. Patients should talk to their doctor about an appropriate exercise program.
Diet

Vitamins and Minerals. Vitamins and minerals that are important to the eye include the antioxidant vitamins C, E, and A and zinc and copper. Although no evidence exists that supplements will prevent or treat glaucoma, some studies indicate that vitamin E improved visual fields in patients.

Caffeine. Some studies have shown that large amounts of caffeine drunk in a short period of time can elevate eye pressure for up to three hours. Most studies show no impact from caffeine, but glaucoma patients should, to be safe, limit caffeine to low or moderate levels.

Fluids. Drinking large amounts (a quart or more) of any liquid within a short time, about half an hour, appears to increase pressure. Patients with glaucoma should have plenty of fluids, but they should drink them in small amounts over the course of a day.
Nontraditional Treatments

Meditation, biofeedback, and relaxation methods can help counteract stress and there are some reports that they may help some people with open-angle glaucoma. A number of herbal and nontraditional remedies have been advertised as glaucoma remedies. People should be very cautious about such treatments as a substitute for allopathic medication and discuss them with their optometrist (a holistic optometric doctor if possible). One supplement, bilberry, a European blueberry, is at times sold in natural food stores as a glaucoma remedy. Studies indicate that it may help some people improve night vision and glare, but it is not likely effective in treating glaucoma and certainly not without a wholistic approach that looks at the whole body. Of interest was a study reporting that the herbal remedy ginkgo biloba increases blood flow in the eye without altering overall blood pressure, heart rate, or intraocular pressure. This may prove of significant value

NOT JUST PRESSURE:

Glaucoma is NOT just increased pressure in the eyes. There is no doubt in my mind that strengthening the optic nerve is part of preventing glaucoma, not just controling the pressure with medications. The wholistic approach is knowing that your body can help heal your eyes. Though the medications may help slow the progressing loss of vision in Glaucoma, keeping your vision may well depend on how you treat your whole body! All my glaucoma patients are using allopathic medications. In addtion, those that really want the best opportunity to keep their vision are looking at changes in lifestyle, diet, supplements and exercise. When needed, I even arrange consults with other alternative health care physicians for many of these patients and in the process of protecting their eye sight we see many other diseases diminishing or vanishing.